It's a new play in the Gate and New York is already beckoning in the shape of David Richenthal. "I'm a Broadway producer," says the American, chewing on a fine, fat cigar; he has flown over specially for the Irish premiere. He hopes to take Dublin Carol, the latest play from Conor McPherson, to the US. "I'm a huge McPherson fan," he says. He's already seen Dublin Carol four times in London's Royal Court Theatre. "I love this production," he continues. How was the London production? "They're different. The one in London was probably more sentimental." Playwright Bernard Farrell says the characters in the play remind him of those he met in the 14 years he worked with Stena Sealink. The play "is brilliant," he says. "It's so seldom we are exposed to that kind of Dubliner on the stage."
The writer himself is feted by all. "The response is overwhelming," he says. His father, Michael McPherson, and his sisters Margaret McPherson and Karen McPherson, are also here enjoying the opening night vibe. One of McPherson's next projects is to make a film with DreamWorks, Stephen Spielberg's studio. It's about actors who "get themselves into trouble and have to use acting to get themselves out," he explains. Right on cue John Erraught, who will be involved in the project, enters the upstairs bar, stage left.
Ruairi Quinn, leader of the Labour Party, and his wife, Liz Quinn, are out for the night also. "We're regular, not frequent, goers to the theatre," he says.
Some Galwayites have escaped from the west also. Rose Parkinson, artistic director of the Galway Arts Festival and Ciaran Walsh, general manager of the Druid Theatre, are both in attendance. Melbourne man Nial Thomas, of the Blue Boys, who are currently performing in the window of BT2 on Grafton Street, is here too, gorging on more theatre.
Michael Colgan is just back from a whistlestop tour, which started off in Toronto and ended in Austin, Texas, also taking in a trip to Venice and another to New York, all to promote and introduce Beckett films and plays. Tonight he should be in Cannes but hey, he's here and he's happy and he's heading to Los Angeles next week, where they're doing more Beckett. In fact, he says, "they're doing Beckett all over the world".